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The US government has levied restrictions on a operation of four individuals and four companies accused of recruiting former Colombian soldiers to combat alongside and instruct a militia force in Sudan that Washington accuses of committing genocide.

Group Makeup

Announcing the sanctions on this week, the Treasury stated the operation was largely composed of Colombian nationals and companies.

Hundreds of former Colombian military personnel have allegedly journeyed to the Sudanese warzone to fight alongside the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a group linked to severe violations including targeted ethnic killings and mass abductions.

Emergence of Involvement

The involvement of Colombian fighters initially emerged last year, following an investigation which found that hundreds of retired troops had been contracted to fight – an revelation that prompted an rare mea culpa from Colombia’s foreign ministry.

Colombian ex-soldiers have historically been seen as some of the most in-demand contractors globally due to their vast combat experience acquired during decades of civil war, knowledge of Nato equipment, and elite military instruction.

Reported Actions

In Sudan, the contractors have been accused of teaching minors, taught fighters to pilot drones, and fought directly on the frontlines. An individual involved was quoted as saying that training children was "terrible and insane" but added that "unfortunately that’s how war is".

Targeted Persons

Among those targeted was a retired Colombian officer, a dual Colombian-Italian national and former army officer located in the United Arab Emirates. The US authorities alleged he played a key part in recruiting and deploying former Colombian soldiers to Sudan. His wife, Claudia Viviana Oliveros Forero, was penalized as well.

Also on the penalty list was Mateo Duque Botero, a dual Colombian-Spanish citizen who officials alleged ran a firm accused of managing finances and payments for the recruitment operation. "Over the past two years, American entities linked to Duque carried out several money transfers, worth millions," the official announcement said.

Individual Mónica Muñoz was the final person to be penalized, with the firm she operated alleged to have money transfers associated with Duque and his businesses.

"Washington reiterates its demand for foreign parties to stop giving financial and military support to the belligerents," the Treasury announced.

Reaction

A senior analyst, senior analyst at the International Crisis Group, labeled the sanctions as a "highly important" development, saying that "calling out those who are doing the contracting is the correct approach".

It was also noted that, Colombia recently passed a law ratifying the global treaty against mercenarism, seeking to reduce decades of Colombian involvement in foreign conflicts and change national security policy.

A mercenary specialist, a scholar on the subject, urged more caution, noting that "restrictions are needed but not enough for dealing with widespread use of contractors".

"It operates in the black market and based out of Dubai, which is difficult to penalize," he said. The UAE has been frequently alleged of arming the RSF, an accusation it has denied. "This trend will probably continue," the expert cautioned.